Informational only — Not medical advice. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider.

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Community data Updated 2 months ago

Lamivudine + Zidovudine

Drugs for HIV / Anti-retroviral drugs Prescription
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Indications

Lamivudine and zidovudine tablets combine 2 nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors in one tablet. They are used for HIV-1 infection, always together with other antiretroviral medicines and never on their own.

⚠️ Always consult a registered physician before taking any medicine.

Pharmacology

Lamivudine and Zidovudine are synthetic nucleoside analogues that work against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Lamivudine: Inside the cell, Lamivudine is converted into its active form, 5'-triphosphate, called Lamivudine triphosphate (L-TP). L-TP works mainly by blocking reverse transcription (RT). It does this by ending the growing DNA chain once the nucleoside analogue has been built into it. After it is taken by mouth, Lamivudine is absorbed quickly and spreads widely through the body. Very little of it binds to plasma protein.

Zidovudine: Inside the cell, Zidovudine is also converted into its active 5'-triphosphate form, Zidovudine triphosphate (ZDV-TP). Like Lamivudine, ZDV-TP works mainly by blocking reverse transcription (RT), stopping the DNA chain from growing once the nucleoside analogue is incorporated. Zidovudine is absorbed quickly after it is taken by mouth and spreads widely through the body, and only a small amount binds to plasma protein. Most of it is broken down and cleared by the liver.

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Lamivudine + Zidovudine falls under Pregnancy Category C. There are no adequate and well controlled studies of this drug in pregnant women, so it should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefits outweigh the risks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that mothers with HIV should not breast-feed their infants, to avoid the risk of passing HIV on after birth. HIV can be transmitted through breast milk, and nursing infants may also suffer serious adverse effects. For these reasons mothers should be told not to breast-feed if they are receiving efavirenz.

⚠️ Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Dosage Reference

⚠️ Reference ranges from official sources only. Consult your doctor for personalized dosing.

Adults: Recommended dosage for adults and adolescents: In HIV-1-infected adults and adolescents weighing 30 kg or more, the usual dose is 1 tablet (containing 150 mg lamivudine and 300 mg zidovudine) taken by mouth twice daily. Recommended dosage for pediatric patients: For children weighing 30 kg or more who are able to take a solid oral dosage form, the usual dose is also 1 tablet taken by mouth twice daily on an empty stomach. Before this medicine is prescribed, the child's ability to swallow tablets should be assessed; if a child cannot reliably swallow a tablet, a liquid oral formulation should be used instead. Not recommended due to lack of dosage adjustment: because this is a fixed-dose combination tablet that cannot be adjusted, it is not recommended for pediatric patients weighing less than 30 kg, patients with creatinine clearance below 50 mL per minute, patients with hepatic impairment, or patients experiencing dose-limiting adverse reactions. For these groups, the individual components are available separately in liquid and solid oral formulations.

Side Effects & Interactions

Side Effects

No side-effect data recorded yet.